11th Grade American History

Mr. Dalton’s Class

Subject: Chapter 17

Between the Wars

Objectives:

Evaluate the influence of isolationism on American foreign policy.

Objectives:

Describe changes in U.S. policy toward Latin America in the 1930s.

Objectives:

Explain how fascism took hold in Italy, Germany, and Japan.

Objectives:

Describe how World War II began and how the United States entered the war.

Activity one

The students will read excerpts from the book by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, an idealistic American goes to Spain to fight the fascists, and discuss it in groups.

Activity two

The students will watch a video The Darkest Hour, a video that chronicles events leading to World War II through the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Activity three

At the computers the students will view the software America’s Presidents Series: World Wars, Prosperity, and Depression-Presidents during and between the two World Wars. They will look at the Truman-Wilson administrations and write a page explaining what they would have done differently.

Activity four

The students will do research and write a biography on one of the world leaders in the chapter: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Anastasio Somoza, Benito Mussolini, Hideki Tojo, or Winston Churchill.

Activity five

The students will get into their groups and discuss why Americans worried about getting involved in future European conflicts. They will write a page explaining their own reasons why they wouldn’t want to get involved either.

Activity six

As a class we will discuss what forms of economic aid did the Good Neighbor Policy made available and how economic aid can lead to political stability.

Activity seven

In groups the students will compare the Fascist governments in Italy, Germany, and Japan and the Communist government in the Soviet Union with the representative democracy in the U.S., they will note how the non-democratic governments took power.

Activity eight

As a class we will discuss anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, and talk about what they think is at the root of prejudice against those of a different race or religion.

Activity nine

Each group will take an event and present it to the class: Mussolini’s takeover, Hitler’s ascent to the position of Chancellor of Germany, Japan’s invasion of Manchuria, and the United States recognition of the Soviet Union

Activity ten

With the class in two groups they will debate whether or not President Roosevelt behaved in an ethical way by taking steps to prepare for the war, even though he promised to stay out of the war during his campaign.

Important terms in the chapter

Isolationism Washington

Conference Kellogg-Briand Pact debtor nation creditor nation Dawes Plan

Good Neighbor Policy

Nazi Party anti-Semitism puppet state

Important terms in the chapter

Spanish Civil War appeasement Munich Conference nonaggression pact

World War II blitzkrieg Lend-Lease Act

Important people in the chapter

Winston Churchill Francisco Franco Hideki Tojo Anastasio Somoza Joseph Stalin Adolph Hitler

Web sites for more information

Http://www.search-beat.com/history.htm http://www.thehistorynet.com/ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ http://www.worldhistorycompass.com/

index.htm. Http://www.americaslibrary.com/

Web sites for more information

Http://www.hpol.org/ http://www.lilb.msu.edu/vincent/ http://www.ngsw.org/ http://www.historybuff.com/realaudio Http://www.nizkor.org/